What are your favorite cloth diapers?

[danybug]

I want to go ahead and begin ordering all of the supplies for cloth diapering our 3rd baby due in August. I am overwhelmed by all of the various brands. There seems to be pluses to each kind and well... some are just so darn cute ;)

 

Do you have a favorite brand? Please share with me why and any experiences. I have really been looking at bummis, happy heinys, fuzzibunz, and JamTot's Kangaroos. I think I like the idea of all-in-ones or pocket daipers.

 

TIA!

[jplain]

We used unbleached Chinese prefolds with covers with my first. With my second we switched to FuzziBunz with a mix of hemp and microfleece inserts, and couldn't have been happier. For my daughter, both Happy Heiny and Bummis leaked around the legs, but of course your mileage may vary, and the designs may have changed somewhat in the last 4 years.

[MyLittleWonders]

I've cd'd two of my three so far, and little bean will be in cloth once born. One thing I have realized is that I don't like synthetic materials - we did pockets for both ds#2 and ds#3 and though there was some convenience involved, the synthetic materials never came as clean as natural fabrics. I also have decided that I want to steer clear of hemp if possible - it just doesn't stay soft like cotton does. And I have also decided I don't like one-sized diapers, and hope to avoid them too. They seem to fit my babies best only on the mid-setting, and I don't like the exposed snaps on the front once the smallest setting is too small (the two outside rows seemed to squash up against their inside thighs and personally it seemed like that would be uncomfortable).

 

That said, our favorite are prefolds and flats (dh loves flats the best ... that's all we'd have if he had it his way!). Since I sold everything after ds#3 potty trained (thinking we weren't having another), I get to start over this time (good and bad - dh isn't crazy about spending the money, but I love shopping!). So, I'm thinking of doing some Clovers, SBish (fitteds and also the snap-less one-size that can be pinned or snappi'd), Little Caboose (I am so glad these are still being made - they were so hard to get when ds#2 was little), and maybe some Firefly's.

 

For covers, we love wool and PUL; I think I'm going to start with Imse Vimse wool and organic cotton/PUL covers (love Imse Vimse), and Nikky breathable poly covers (these are so nice and stretchy). With bean being due in early December, I will probably get one or two pair of longies for fun, but ultimately I prefer covers that snap or velcro on and off for ease of changing.

 

So, I know what I'm looking at is the complete opposite of what you said you were looking at ;) but I wanted to throw out some ideas anyway. :) My biggest thing this time around is looking for natural fibers (minus hemp if possible), diapers that will wash easily (no internal soakers if at all possible), and hopefully not spending TOO much money. :lol:

[MariannNOVA]

We used unbleached Chinese prefolds with covers with my first. With my second we switched to FuzziBunz with hemp inserts, and couldn't have been happier. For my daughter, both Happy Heiny and Bummis leaked around the legs, but of course your mileage may vary, and the designs may have changed somewhat in the last 4 years.

 

 

I vaguely recall using Bummis and was unhappy with them for the reason stated above - leaking around the legs.

 

I think I used Mother-ease (spelling :confused:) and FuzziBunz sounds familiar and they look very familiar. I do remember that I purchased most of what I used brand new on ebay. I also used cotton pre-folds with fantastic 'covers' and I loved those as well. We still have diapers in the rag bucket that we use for.......well..........rags!

 

And, I am sure I will sound like someone who is 'one sandwich shy of a picnic', but I LOVED using cloth diapers! I used them 31 years ago with my dds, and I loved using them with the three that followed.

 

BTW, dd11 would love to hear from your ds via email if he would like.

 

Hope all is well!!!!!!!!

[Oney Jones]

Clean ones!

[indigomama]

For my boys Fuzzi Bunz. For my DD we're using Bum Genius AIO's. If you haven't already check out diaperswappers.com. Lots of info there.

[Oakblossoms]

I like Mother ease one size. They are still going strong for my fourth child. I like their covers as well. I have a stack of prefolds. I just put them on with a velcro wrap and they stay on fine. No pins.

 

I tried some other stuff. But, they were all such high maintenance. I strip them a few times a year and that's it. I use a squirt of dawn if they seem to be stinky or just not absorbing well. I know if a cover gets in the dryer by accident, it's fine.

 

I like imse vimse night covers over my prefolds, as well. I think they fit skinny babies though.

[Veritaserum]

I've cloth diapered five kids and have used almost every style (AIOs, pockets, prefolds, and fitteds). We are currently using Fuzinunz one size pockets. I really like them because the size adjusts using buttonhole elastic, which gives

it a good fit. Being adjustable makes them more economical than buying a dozen+ in each size. :)

[danybug]

I've cd'd two of my three so far, and little bean will be in cloth once born. One thing I have realized is that I don't like synthetic materials - we did pockets for both ds#2 and ds#3 and though there was some convenience involved, the synthetic materials never came as clean as natural fabrics. I also have decided that I want to steer clear of hemp if possible - it just doesn't stay soft like cotton does. And I have also decided I don't like one-sized diapers, and hope to avoid them too. They seem to fit my babies best only on the mid-setting, and I don't like the exposed snaps on the front once the smallest setting is too small (the two outside rows seemed to squash up against their inside thighs and personally it seemed like that would be uncomfortable).

 

That said, our favorite are prefolds and flats (dh loves flats the best ... that's all we'd have if he had it his way!). Since I sold everything after ds#3 potty trained (thinking we weren't having another), I get to start over this time (good and bad - dh isn't crazy about spending the money, but I love shopping!). So, I'm thinking of doing some Clovers, SBish (fitteds and also the snap-less one-size that can be pinned or snappi'd), Little Caboose (I am so glad these are still being made - they were so hard to get when ds#2 was little), and maybe some Firefly's.

 

For covers, we love wool and PUL; I think I'm going to start with Imse Vimse wool and organic cotton/PUL covers (love Imse Vimse), and Nikky breathable poly covers (these are so nice and stretchy). With bean being due in early December, I will probably get one or two pair of longies for fun, but ultimately I prefer covers that snap or velcro on and off for ease of changing.

 

So, I know what I'm looking at is the complete opposite of what you said you were looking at ;) but I wanted to throw out some ideas anyway. :) My biggest thing this time around is looking for natural fibers (minus hemp if possible), diapers that will wash easily (no internal soakers if at all possible), and hopefully not spending TOO much money. :lol:

 

Thanks for throwing all of this out there! I was just going off what I think seemed easiest, etc. But in my searching I have seen some minuses to the pocket ones and all-in-ones. I will have to research all of the names you mentioned. I am thinking that I would also like to use natural fibers, preferably organic.

[Whereneverever]

I like unbleached prefolds (I get mine from green mountain diapers) and Thirstees covers.

[MariannNOVA]

Thanks for throwing all of this out there! I was just going off what I think seemed easiest, etc. But in my searching I have seen some minuses to the pocket ones and all-in-ones. I will have to research all of the names you mentioned. I am thinking that I would also like to use natural fibers, preferably organic.

 

Danielle: Have DH look in WF in the baby clothes section for natural, organic fiber diapers.:)

[dansamy]

Chinese DSQs with an Aristocrats Diaper Sweater!! That was my go-to diaper combo for overnight for heavy wetters. Dry sheets every AM. Yay!

[danybug]

And, I am sure I will sound like someone who is 'one sandwich shy of a picnic', but I LOVED using cloth diapers! I used them 31 years ago with my dds, and I loved using them with the three that followed.

 

That is funny :lol: I am just sad that I did not use them with my other two.

 

BTW, dd11 would love to hear from your ds via email if he would like.

 

I will let Jackson know. He actually hasn't been on there since the last time he emailed you guys.

[MyLittleWonders]

Danielle: Have DH look in WF in the baby clothes section for natural, organic fiber diapers.:)

WF carries cloth diapers? Or only in VA? I do love their organic little clothes. :)

[cjbeach]

Most of the time I just used pre-folds and covers. I bought the bulk set form Nikki's diapers. I did have a few FuzziBunz AOIs for nights and outings - loved them. I was an utter failure at wool soakers. ;)

 

Ok, I have to never look at CDs again......... my uterus hurts just looking at those babies and those sweet diapers. Oh my. Just when I think I'm over baby aches.:001_huh:

[bluemongoose]

I make my own, so mine are my favorite :tongue_smilie:

[SilverMoon]

My favorites are BumGenius! for sized AIOs or one-size pockets, and Mother-Ease one-size fitteds. However, no one-size diaper will fit a newborn well enough to do the job right and still allow their clothing to fit. I just use prefolds and simple covers for the newborn stage. The one-size diapers will work great when baby can fill out a size small well.

 

I like having a combo of fitteds and pockets/AIOs for sizes small through large. AIOs are handier for outings, and easier to for other people who may change baby when I'm not around. Fitteds are great to let baby run around coverless at home.

 

I've been doing this long enough the cover brands I remember loving most probably aren't around anymore. :tongue_smilie: I prefer 6 basic wraps, 2-3 wool soakers, and about 3 dozen prefolds for the newborn size. That many prefolds may seem like overkill, but I've found it to be perfect. I don't like washing diapers every single day, and those prefolds can keep being used for various jobs all through baby's diapering career. They can double as burp pads, changing pads, and nighttime doublers as baby grows.

[Food4Thought]

I also used unbleached CPF with Mother-Ease covers. I had some AIOs that were gifts, I believe, and I didn't like the amount of care they required. You can really abuse CPFs and they still stay strong for years. I cloth-diapered both of mine, and gave my CPFs away afterward - they were still in good condition.

[krisperry]

Check out Diaper Pin for reviews of various cloth diapers:

 

http://www.diaperpin.com/diapers/diaperpages.asp

[lailasmum]

I really love Green acre designs pocket diapers, they are fab. But there are a lot of new one size pocket diapers come out in the last year so maybe check those out. My kids are skinny and tall so I always find getting 2 part diapers to fit hard. I ended up making so much with my daughter. Maybe Fuzzi Bunz pockets or Happy Heinys those two are pretty popular.

 

I used to sell diapers but in the 2 years since I stopped so many new ones have come out.

 

I do think that pockets are the easiest, just hassle free. All in ones have their limitations because of the drying time. We never got on with prefolds they are so huge for really minimal absorbency and on my skinny kids are a dreadful fit.

 

I do love wool wraps too and used them for a while over tots bots a night up to about 6 months.

[MariannNOVA]

Chinese DSQs with an Aristocrats Diaper Sweater!! That was my go-to diaper combo for overnight for heavy wetters. Dry sheets every AM. Yay!

 

HEAVENS! It's all coming back to me! I knew I used something that had the word Chinese -- I LOVED those too!

 

 

 

BTW, dd11 would love to hear from your ds via email if he would like.

 

I will let Jackson know. He actually hasn't been on there since the last time he emailed you guys.

 

:001_smile: I will let M know - she will be thrilled! She hasn't heard from any of her friends from school in months, and lacrosse is over so she won't see those girls for a few months -- She asks about J all the time. Oh, and my 3 will be heartily disappointed if you all are not in OBX with your new little one in September when we vacation........hint......hint!;)

 

WF carries cloth diapers? Or only in VA? I do love their organic little clothes. :)

I know we have them in the Fairfax store -- I LOVE their little organic clothes too -- Wegman's has cute ones as well.

[Soror]

Prefolds and flats all the way. I have done more expensive a-i-o 's and a variety of covers but now I use cheapo dappi pants at 2/$5. I have 4 doz newborn prefolds and 3 doz prefolds/flats for the toddler age- about a dozen covers each size. I don't like to wash much. I don't have leaks- well I started to when the greenstitch were getting too small after I switched to the blueit was fine. Now we are adjusting to using flats more, so I am trying to figure out which fold I like the best.

[danybug]

So, is there really a huge difference between a-i-o and pockets?

[MyLittleWonders]

So, is there really a huge difference between a-i-o and pockets?

Pockets you stuff - so you could stuff with, say, a flat diaper all folded up and everything would wash and dry pretty thoroughly and quickly. Or you could stuff with a multi-layer hemp or microfiber insert and have more issues with making sure they are clean all the way through (at least we did with ds#2 and ds#3).

 

AIOs are a diaper and cover all sewn together. Some have internal soakers (which are pretty hard to get thoroughly clean and tend to take a long time to dry) and some have snap in/partially attached/lay-in soakers which can be easier to clean and dry.

 

In my experience, AIOs tend to have some stay-dry layer inside, but not all do (I think it was the BumWare AIOs that we liked the best as they were just cotton up against the baby's skin). Pockets are synthetic inside (unless it's a pocket fitted, which needs a separate cover, but I've seen pocket fitteds made of all natural fibers). Did I make that too confusing? :)

[danybug]

Okay, so why would you really want the AIO's?

[MyLittleWonders]

I think (and this is from my personal experience and why I bought them), it's all together ... and on mobile babies, that makes a huge difference. They can also be found without synthetic materials touching the baby (which is big for many, especially those with sensitive skin). If the soaker is external, then they are similar to fitteds in terms of washing/drying. And the stuff in a diaper bag pretty easily.

 

The downside was the washing (the ones that fit my babes well seemed to be made with internal soakers, making them much more simplistic for putting on, but harder to clean - plus our old washer was not the best), they can be expensive, you can't reuse the "cover" so you need the same amount of AIOs as you would normally need of a less expensive regular diaper with a few covers), and like fitteds and pockets, you usually have a try a few brands before you get a good fit.

[Cera]

I liked Bum Genius one size. They were the closest to "real" diapers so dh/babysitters/grandparents could easily use them.

 

I did not like AIO dipes as they took forever to dry. At night we used hemp babies inserts to boost the absorption power.

[Pretty in Pink]

I've always preferred Chinese pre-folds. These are the workhorse of cloth diapers. They are quite economical and all cotton (as opposed to the synthetic fibers in Gerber prefolds that are less absorbent and retain odor). Plus, I always liked using diaper pins for some reason.

 

I had these coves once that were great. The body was PUL and the leg and waist bands were fleece I believe, and they had adjustable snaps at both the legs and waist for a customized fit. They were my favorite covers but I cannot recall the brand.

[MyLittleWonders]

 

Green Acre Designs makes one that I think I might try with this bean. (I don't think I tried them with ds#3 - I know I had a couple things from GAD but I think they were pockets.)

[Tidbits of Learning]

I mainly used gdiapers with the gerber prefolds as inserts during the day. I also used unbleacher prefolds. I am thinking they were called swaddlebees with the snappi's instead of pins. We used bumkins covers on top of these. At night, I used the prefold, snappi, bumkins combo with I think a extra cloth liner for good measure.

This is one of the site's I used to buy a lot from.

http://www.wildflowerdiapers.com/store/pc/home.asp

[Oakblossoms]

If you are looking for some disposable diapers, I love these. I order them by the case from Amazon. I get them in the next day or two.

 

I keep them around since we are out of the house more these days. I allow my husband to use them, too;)

[staceyobu]

After trying most every diaper with my middle child, I'm really a fan of the basics... bumgenius pockets and fuzzi bunz. I feel like bumgenius are easier for others to use because they are so similar to a disposable. With fuzzi bunz, you have to figure out where to snap them. However, the bumgenius velcro gets stuck to things in the wash causing me to have to pull all the diapers apart.

 

I feel like happy heinys and bummis are cheaper looking. I actually don't know about jamtots. Prefolds feel wet sooo quickly. I just can't stand that. And, I don't like snappis and pins don't like me. ;)

 

AIOs can be harder to keep clean than pocket diapers. However, pockets require stuffing.

 

diaperswappers is a good source of info. Make sure if you use their fsot you pay good attention to feedback, though.

 

I am tempted now that the prices on goodmamas have fallen to buy a whole bunch of them! HA!

[danybug]

After trying most every diaper with my middle child, I'm really a fan of the basics... bumgenius pockets and fuzzi bunz. I feel like bumgenius are easier for others to use because they are so similar to a disposable. With fuzzi bunz, you have to figure out where to snap them. However, the bumgenius velcro gets stuck to things in the wash causing me to have to pull all the diapers apart.

 

I feel like happy heinys and bummis are cheaper looking. I actually don't know about jamtots. Prefolds feel wet sooo quickly. I just can't stand that. And, I don't like snappis and pins don't like me. ;)

 

AIOs can be harder to keep clean than pocket diapers. However, pockets require stuffing.

 

diaperswappers is a good source of info. Make sure if you use their fsot you pay good attention to feedback, though.

 

I am tempted now that the prices on goodmamas have fallen to buy a whole bunch of them! HA!

 

This kind of sums up what I am thinking now. I am strongly leaning towards pockets. I think the AIOs have more cons than what I would actually need the convenience for. And I am nervous about prefolds. Fuzzibunz might be what I am leaning towards, only because I feel like I prefer snaps. I had no idea that there were this many options and decisions :001_huh:

 

And now I need to look up what goodmamas are?

[Carrie12345]

I prefer prefolds and Prorap covers for newborns and fitteds and Thirsties covers for older babies. We've also had good luck with BumGenious one-size pockets for on-the-go and even for overnight.

 

I don't really have a preferred brand for fitteds. I've had some Thirsties and Little Lions, but mostly make my own.

 

I've only purchased AIOs for extra-special cuteness. They're a%#@& to dry!

[MariannNOVA]

This kind of sums up what I am thinking now. I am strongly leaning towards pockets. I think the AIOs have more cons than what I would actually need the convenience for. And I am nervous about prefolds. Fuzzibunz might be what I am leaning towards, only because I feel like I prefer snaps. I had no idea that there were this many options and decisions :001_huh:

 

And now I need to look up what goodmamas are?

 

I remember what that feels like - I mean, it's a diaper :glare: -- my mom told me to go and buy 4 dozen Curity birdseye (:confused:) prefolds - who knew?

 

I searched and wracked my brain.......I think that the AIOs didn't last long with me b/c they DID take a long time to dry, and when it was changing time, it was a rather.....ummmmmm...... cumbersome item........I liked to separate wet and, ummmm, soiled into two different diaper pails and put covers in another one.....the AIOs made my process not go as smoothly.

 

I know I used Dappi (they wore like iron), Kiss a luvs, Bummis (which may be AIOs but I am drawing such a complete blank on all this so forgive me.

 

Oh, and I know that when I used the kiss a luvs, I had the best time just buying 'covers' -- covers were such fun! And, yes, as someone wrote here, one can use a folded cloth diaper in a cover. I also used 'liners' and 'doublers' and then realized that pre-folded cloth diapers can be 'doublers.'

 

One thing to remember: There are like 1000s of choices as far as what one can use for cloth diapering -- it's really what you decide and what you prefer.

[elfinbaby]

http://www.tykiediapers.com/

 

I've used Ann's diapers w/3 out of my 4 dc. Excellent quality. Excellent customer service. Outstanding custom orders - I think my 2 girls are still in her gallery with the light blue Cowgirl bikini's w/matching bottoms. Sigh.

 

I also have a good stash of DSQ w/proraps. Also, I used to knit my own soakers - not as hard as you think.

[CalicoKat]

I've always preferred Chinese pre-folds. These are the workhorse of cloth diapers. They are quite economical and all cotton (as opposed to the synthetic fibers in Gerber prefolds that are less absorbent and retain odor). Plus, I always liked using diaper pins for some reason.

 

I had these coves once that were great. The body was PUL and the leg and waist bands were fleece I believe, and they had adjustable snaps at both the legs and waist for a customized fit. They were my favorite covers but I cannot recall the brand.

:iagree::iagree:with a snappi!

[H0MEFree]

I like Bum Genius 3.0 but I WISH they were snaps instead. I hate the aplix (velcro).

[squirtymomma]

I really like bumGenius one-size pockets as well. I use more prefolds and prefitteds for the first few months, though. I also like Thirsties covers. This thread may inspire me to try a couple of the Duos in the new prints.

[daffodil]

We use Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genius.

[scubamama]

All 3 were ccd'ed...I had unbleached prefolds and vinyl pants...I used regular diaper pins. It went well. I had a home depot bucket that the dirties went in and a big wash line out back or dried them in fornt of the coal stove in winter. They were great! As an added bonus all 3 kids potty trained around 21 months and were good both day and night by 24 months. I think God knew that I needed mercy in the potty training department! Good luck - I loved my cd's - just think of the $ you'll save.

Michele

[cornelia9805]

I can't believe not one person mentioned BumGenius Organic One-size AIOs. http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=1825

 

I really could go on and on about why I love these diapers. I will just say that I have used probably between 25-30 different brands of diapers through every type of cloth diaper (yes, I know I had a problem :lol:) and these win by a landslide.

 

The only down side to these is the cost. Now that they have been out over a year I would think you could pick these up pretty easily used.

[Mrs Mungo]

I really, really loved the Snugglebottoms fitted diapers and the Bummis wraps. It was by far the best combination of everything I tried.

 

eta: I did not like the Mother-Ease diapers because I have little babies (they were all around 19 lbs at a year) and those diapers (both styles) were *huge* on them forever.

Edited June 10, 2010 by Mrs Mungo

[WeeBeaks]

We love Motherease one size. I got most of mine used off ebay for my first and they are about to diaper my fourth, same set. I have had to replace Motherease covers, but I love those.

 

In the first month or two, when the baby is really tiny, we use infant size chinese prefolds and velcro covers. Those dry quickly on the line and aren't as bulky as Motherease. After that we switch to the Motherease. Those have fit our kids until they have potty trained (between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 yrs depending on child).

[Embassy]

I like Fuzzi Bunz and BumGenius the best. I've cloth diapered for over 8 years now and tried so many different kinds. I'd look into the package deals at Thanks Mama.

[jld]

I bought and tried several with my first child, but switched to Sandy's (Motherease) diapers and Air Flow covers with my 2nd. We have used Sandy's and Air Flow covers with all children since. I really cannot say enough good things about these products.

 

I'd also suggest that if you are serious about using cloth diapers (some moms just try them, but others want to make a stronger commitment), you may enjoy having a front loader with its own heating element, so that you can wash diapers at 205 Fahrenheit and know the water is truly going to get to that temperature. It can help with diaper rash.

[MyLittleWonders]

I forgot how much I love the ME AirFlow covers - they are bullet-proof and so thin and yet do allow air circulation.

[LinzluvsGJ]

I have used most types of cloth diapers (wool being the only thing I didn't try because I wanted my husband to not have to separate things so it wouldn't end up ruined). After a lot of trial and error and using whatever I could get cheaply or free for a while when really necessary, I finally settled on mostly pocket diapers (using fitteds for the tiny newborn stage), primarily Fuzzi Bunz with a microfiber insert or chinese prefold. It washes easily, dries quickly, and I assembled them out of the dryer so they are quick to grab. I like the snaps so my child isn't removing the diaper on her own while crawling around (and so it holds better for active toddlers). I've used them on 4 kids now! I'd say their one-size version is the equivalent of the small and mediums, after that IMO either petite toddler or larges would need bought depending on the shape of the child, but it's a good deal overall!

[scrappyhappymama]

I think (and this is from my personal experience and why I bought them), it's all together ... and on mobile babies, that makes a huge difference. They can also be found without synthetic materials touching the baby (which is big for many, especially those with sensitive skin). If the soaker is external, then they are similar to fitteds in terms of washing/drying. And the stuff in a diaper bag pretty easily.

 

The downside was the washing (the ones that fit my babes well seemed to be made with internal soakers, making them much more simplistic for putting on, but harder to clean - plus our old washer was not the best), they can be expensive, you can't reuse the "cover" so you need the same amount of AIOs as you would normally need of a less expensive regular diaper with a few covers), and like fitteds and pockets, you usually have a try a few brands before you get a good fit.

 

My very favorite cloth diapers are Bottombumpers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. :D

 

They are technically AIOs, but they are MUCH better than ones with an internal soaker, because they have a shell and then a snap-in soaker. So they are super-easy to use, but they also dry easily since the soaker is loose except for the top which snaps in, so air can move all around it while drying, or it easily unsnaps to hang dry (which I prefer). You can also get them with Organic Cotton Velour on the top layer of the soaker (what's against the baby's skin) which I love for my babies with sensitive skin. The other benefit to the Bottombumpers is that they are practically bullet proof. They were my go-to diaper for car trips and overnight, and leaks are very rare because they are adjustable at the waist and the leg, so you can easily fit them to your baby's body style.

 

I also have Blueberry pockets and a few BB AIOs which are nice, but the BB AIOs drive me nuts because they take 3x as long to dry (outside or in the dryer).

 

The biggest drawback to Bottombumpers is that they are pretty pricey new ($18-20), but I've bought most of mine used on Diaperswappers for significantly less.

[buddhabelly]

We used Mother-Ease and they had the cutest prints on the diaper covers back then. They make for cute baby pictures!

 

Julie